Edwin Venturi, Matchmaker
by bsloths
Summary: The words are out of my mouth before I'm even sure I want to say them. But there's no going back now as I ramble, "Derek, you have to … it's literally now or never … You have to." Threeshot. Dasey.
1. Chapter 1

I'm really happy with my first post-_Vacation_-_With_-_Derek_ fic, "Home," but I wanted to explore another way Dasey could realistically happen in canon. Also, I've never done an Edwin-POV fic, so I thought that would be fun. This is a kid who has balanced his dad's checkbook since he was ten years old—he's smart.

This fic is full of Lizwin fluffiness. It's more friendship than ship-ship, but you could certainly take it that way. It's obvious from the show that they have just as close a bond as Casey and Derek, but it wasn't as evident in the movie, so I wanted to have them be a little more (okay, a _lot _more) cuddly than usual.

The story picks up directly after _Vacation with Derek_ ends.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I have been good to this show—I watched it legally on Disney Channel (mostly), purchased the DVDs (_why_ no Season 4?), talk(ed) about it constantly (Free publicity!)—so they owe me the right to write fic. Right?

**Edwin Venturi, Matchmaker**

Gran closes the door of the lodge after saying good night to the last guest and comes over to our little circle of benches and chairs we made as the party died down. Nora and Dad are nestled on a couch, talking quietly with Marti strewn across them, dozing with her head in Nora's lap and her feet dangling over Dad's knees. I'm leaning against the wall with my arm slung around Lizzie's shoulders. She's got her head leaning against mine and we've been whispering … she had huge news to tell me and with all the dancing, this is our first quiet moment. She kissed Oscar. I'm happy for her. It was her first kiss, and Oscar's an okay dude.

There's nothing strange about this scene, except for the two family members who are on a bench between our parents and Lizzie and me. Casey is sitting with Derek's head in her lap, and she's playing with his hair as they giggle and tease each other.

I can't believe they're acting so chummy. But they did have a good night. They danced together practically the whole time and haven't fought all day. I saw Jesse slip out the door about an hour ago, and Casey doesn't seem to miss him. No idea where Roxy went, either, but I doubt Derek cares.

Knowing what I know, this is a big step for them. The last time they were touchy-feely like this was one night early this summer, when they curled up in the hammock together to pore over the Queen's course catalog.

But I don't get my hopes up. After all, I've known about Derek's feelings for years, and he still hasn't acted on them, so why should tonight be any different?

I nod surreptitiously to Lizzie and jerk my head toward them. Her gaze flickers to them and then back to me, and her eyes say, "Major progress!"

That's one of my favorite things about Lizzie. We're constantly talking even when we're not talking. She had her suspicions about Derek liking Casey, but I was the one who told her it was true.

Lizzie gets all the credit for being the observant one. But I notice things, too.

Derek seemed to use me as his punching bag most often when Casey was on a date or having some sort of boy issue. It started with Scott/Snot and it's only gotten worse over the years. He's never come right out and _said_ how he feels about Casey, but he's danced around the idea enough so that I get it. I think he knows I know, but we both know I'm a dead man if I bring it up.

There is way too much _knowing _going around in our family. But I'm not gonna be the one to change the status quo.

Lizzie and I can't figure out how Casey feels. I think she senses her connection with Derek and it scares her, which is why she'll never act on it. But I don't know if she's self-aware enough to realize that what Derek means to her is something romantic. Lizzie agrees. She says it's going to hit Casey like a ton of bricks one day. I think it's either gonna come all at once like that and overwhelm her, or not at all and she'll live her life in denial. Which is a shame, because Lizzie and I kinda like the idea of them together. They just _fit_. It's hard to explain, but we can see it. I just hope Derek and Casey can see it one day, too.

Gran settles down on the couch next to Dad, lifting Marti's feet so she can sit. Marti stirs and rolls over, making Nora wince as she's jiggled around. I don't even want to imagine what being pregnant feels like. Good thing I'll never have to find out.

"Thanks again, everyone," Gran says, and we all murmur some version of 'you're welcome.'

We sit in comfortable, tired silence for a few moments until Casey clears her throat. Derek looks up at her, not moving his head from its apparently comfy spot. We all follow his lead.

"I have an announcement to make." She smiles at Gran, and I exchange a confused glance with Lizzie. I wonder what's going on.

"After my performance with Jesse tonight, Mrs. Blue's son approached us and offered us a job dancing in a Broadway show in New York."

My mouth drops open and I can see Lizzie's face register the same level of surprise as she lifts her head from my shoulder. Gran, Nora, and Dad are all smiling, so they must already know. Marti sits up, rubbing her eyes.

I don't want to look at Derek, but my curiosity gets the better of me. Just as I suspected, he's bolted upright and shifted away from Casey, expression controlled. But I can tell what he's actually feeling. It's panic.

"Are you taking it?" Lizzie asks tentatively.

Casey smiles. "I'd like to," she says.

"I'm asleep five minutes and Casey decides she's leaving?!" Marti wails, groggy.

"You can't," Derek blurts out, and all of our heads swivel toward him in unison. It would be funny if this wasn't such a serious moment.

"Why not?" Casey challenges, predictably getting defensive. "The contract is for one year. I can defer Queen's and come back when I'm finished."

Derek, ever the fidgeter, stands up and begins pacing in front of their bench.

I'm the one who helped Derek fill out his college applications. I'm the one he sent on recon missions to find out where Casey was applying. Miraculously, the one college that accepted him was the one Casey chose to attend.

I don't know his plan beyond that. Obviously, he wants to be around her all the time and the idea of going to separate colleges terrified him because he knew he'd lose her, tentative friendship and all. But what did he really think was going to happen? She's going to meet new guys at Queen's _or _in New York … the only way Derek is going to guarantee Casey all to himself is if he tells her how he feels. Which he refuses to do.

In short, my brother is screwed, and he has no right to be angry right now. But Derek doesn't care about stuff like proper reactions to things.

Derek still doesn't have a reply for Casey's "why not" question. This makes me nervous, and I squeeze Lizzie's shoulder as Derek keeps pacing. She dips her head at me, and I know she's telling me to just wait and see what happens.

Derek finally settles on: "You just can't." And then he adds, "Since when do you want to be a dancer?"

Casey stands up, facing Derek, forcing him to stop pacing. This is not good. They're bracing for one of their knock-down, drag-out, stare-down fights. It's not fun to watch.

"I love dancing!" Casey hisses, and Gran makes the mistake of raising her hand. Actually raising her hand.

"Derek, please sit down. You're ruining Casey's good news," she says.

My attention shifts to Nora and Dad, who are having a conversation with their eyes that I imagine is something like, 'Do we let her interfere or tell her to leave them be?'

The thing about Casey/Derek fights is that you can't get in the middle of them without becoming collateral damage.

Nora, Dad, Marti, Lizzie, and I know this, which is why we're sitting here quietly and letting the fight play out. We know better. Gran doesn't.

"Thank you, Gran," Casey says triumphantly, glaring at Derek.

Derek steps forward and Casey matches his step by retreating slightly. They have this dance down to a science. "Letting your grandmother fight your battles now? New York is going to destroy you if you can't stand up for yourself."

"What do you think I'm doing right now?" she asks, standing on her tiptoes so she's taller than Derek. "I don't care what you think. Go away if you don't want to hear about my news. I bet everyone else is excited for me, aren't you?" She looks around at all of us and we nod slightly, not wanting to commit to being _too _excited.

I guess this _is_ pretty big news, and it _would _be a cool opportunity for Casey, but … she's crazy. She's gonna leave school a week before the semester starts? They already made all their payments and stuff. I know, because I helped Dad do the online paperwork. She's not gonna see a cent back of that nonrefundable tuition. Not to mention, she's not a freaking dancer! Yeah, she's taken classes, but like Derek said, _since when has she wanted to be a dancer_? You have to train hardcore for years for that kind of stuff. I know. Lizzie is obsessed with _Billy Elliot_.

Derek interprets our half-nods as apathy and runs with it. "See? They all think it's a stupid idea!"

"Derek …" Dad warns, but that's as far as he gets because he knows saying more will be futile.

Gran crosses her arms. "I happen to think Casey is capable of doing anything she sets her mind to, young man. I don't appreciate the way you're talking to my granddaughter."

Derek lets out a huffy breath. "Look, you're cool for an old gal, but you get no say in this. You haven't even seen Casey in years. You barely know her."

Gran's face crumples and I feel bad for her. She only means well, and just a few hours ago she was calling Derek her grandson.

Nora glares at Derek. But she doesn't comfort Gran, because her eyes tell me she agrees with him. Instead she says, "Maybe we should all take a breather, here. This is pretty big family news, and if Casey decides to take this job everything will change. So maybe we should go to bed and talk more tomorrow."

It's a noble effort, but even Nora knows that when Casey and Derek are circling each other like panthers ready to strike, no one will be calming down until it's over. But she's smart, though. She said the only thing that could rattle Casey.

"Nothing has to change!" Casey blurts out in a whine. "It's one year! Everything will go back to normal when I'm done. I can live with Dad while I'm working and then join Derek at Queen's for sophomore year."

"Yeah, right," Derek snorts. "You're gonna get on that stage and everyone will fall in love with you. You'll be booking jobs left and right and never want to come home."

Neither Casey nor Derek seems to realize that this is a compliment. I squeeze Lizzie's shoulder again and she nods, agreeing with me.

"That's not true!" Casey cries, getting worked up. "Like you said, I'm not a dancer! It's just a great opportunity. You always push me to try new things!"

Again, a compliment that neither of them acknowledges.

Gran butts in with, "I thought dancing was your dream," but she says it so quietly it's a miracle they hear her.

"It's _Jesse's_ dream," Derek snarls, and it's clear how much he hates saying that name.

Casey sighs, emotions ebbing again. She can be on the verge of tears one minute and ready to murder you the next. "It's okay, Gran. I know you feel guilty about not letting Mom try acting. But I'm not my mom. You don't have to feel like you should push me to do this."

Gran looks at Casey, clearly pondering this revelation. Huh. Who knew Gran and Nora had so many issues?

Derek talks before Gran can formulate a response. "So it's settled. You're not going, then?" Derek tries to keep the hopeful note from his voice, but I hear it.

"No. That's _not_ what I said." Casey's fully focused on Derek again, eyes flashing and nostrils flared. She's ready for more combat. "I think I'm going to go, if only to get away from _you._"

This might hurt Derek more than anything she's ever said to him. Two years ago, he would have felt the same way. But this past year? They've grown so much closer. I think Derek thought that if this was all he was ever going to get from her, at least he was getting her friendship. He doesn't let his emotions show now, however, because he's too busy balling his fists and gritting his teeth. "Good. I didn't want to share an apartment with you anyway."

"Maybe I'll just quit Queen's all together. Go to school in the States."

They're both speaking out of anger, not meaning what they're saying. I hope. But still, it worries me.

"Guys …" Dad tries again, weakly, knowing it will do no good. Nora takes his hand and Marti rolls her eyes. To her, this is just Derek and Casey fighting again.

But I know better. I can see the tension in Derek's shoulders. He's facing away from me but I can tell from his stance that he's really angry. And I think the anger is masking the sheer terror he's feeling at losing Casey for good, for real.

"Liz," I whisper under my breath.

She looks at me, worried too. "I know," she whispers back.

The words are out of my mouth before I'm even sure I want to say them. But there's no going back now as I ramble, "Derek, you have to … it's literally now or never … You have to."

Casey snaps her gaze over to me, eyebrows knitting in confusion. "What is Edwin talking about?" she asks Derek while watching me. I'm sure my face is beet red.

Lizzie is stamping on my foot so hard it hurts. But neither of us moves.

Derek slowly turns around to face me, and I can feel Casey still looking at me as I meet Derek's eyes.

He doesn't say anything, just glowers. I'm more confident now. He's mad, but not so mad that he's about to strangle me. So I keep talking. "I mean it, bro. I'm saying this because I care. This might actually be your only chance."

Something in Derek's face changes and I can see him thinking over his options. He gives me a look that I can't interpret and turns back to Casey.

My stomach is in knots. Lizzie reaches over to grab my hand while continuing to crush my foot in anticipation.

"Case?" Derek addresses her softly. His whole demeanor is different, defeated. He knows I'm right.

She's still ready for battle, but she's been thrown off by my interference. "Yeah?" she asks just as softly. I'm sure she has no idea what's coming. I don't either, actually.

"Do you trust me?"

That's _not_ what I expected Derek to say. Casey doesn't reply.

"Case, do you trust me?"

Casey glances to me again but I keep my expression neutral. "Um, yeah?" she says, which is not quite a yes but not a no, either.

"Then there's something I need to do." He steps forward. My breath catches in my throat and I feel Lizzie's entire body freeze next to me.

And then he does it. He takes one more step forward until their noses are almost touching, and then quickly closes the distance by kissing her.


	2. Chapter 2

My first thought is pure revulsion; no one wants to see _that_. But then I realize the giant, momentous moment this is and I force myself to look.

No part of them is touching except for their lips. Casey hasn't pulled away yet, but it doesn't look like she's kissing him back. Her arms are frozen at her sides.

I take quick stock of my companions. I already know Lizzie's elated; she let up on my foot and is now squeezing my hand. I don't waste time looking at her face. I know it looks like mine. Instead I focus on Marti. She's got her hands over her mouth, eyes wide. But her eyes are sparkling and her cheeks are flushed. I can't wait to find out if she suspected anything like Lizzie and I did. She may be younger, but she's smart.

Nora looks … smug. She knew, too? I am dying to know how she found out about Derek's feelings. And whether she knew something about Casey's feelings.

Dad looks bewildered, but more at the fact that this is actually happening than surprise at the possibility of that fact. Hmm. He must have had some inkling, too.

And then there's Gran. Her features are frozen in horror, and she's got one hand halfway up to cover her mouth, but it looks like she can't quite get it there. She's too stunned and dismayed.

Well, that isn't good. But really, who cares what Gran thinks, when _Derek is kissing Casey_!

I look at Casey and Derek again, just in time to see Casey break their connection. She recoils and stares into Derek's eyes, probably looking for some hint of a joke or prank or something other than sincerity, which I am positive is all she's finding.

It happens so fast that I hear the slap more than see it. One second she raises her hand and the next, Derek's cheek is red.

Lizzie reacts before I can, probably because she knows Casey's first instinct is to run. She's right. Casey's heading past us but Lizzie jumps up and blocks her path. I'm not far behind, standing next to Lizzie. I realize Marti has joined our little blockade as well, arms folded.

Derek turns to face us, and I can't read his expression.

"Don't run away," is all Lizzie says. Casey meets our eyes one by one, seeing the seriousness in them. She's been cornered and she knows it. She could have easily pushed past Marti, but Lizzie and me? Forget it. Between my newfound height and Lizzie's soccer muscles, Casey doesn't have a chance.

No one knows what to do. Nora, Dad, and Gran are all standing up, looking from Derek to Casey and back again. I have a sudden urge to throw my arms around my brother with pride but I know that's out of the question. Instead, I eye Casey. "I think maybe you should go sit down," I say sternly, and to my amazement, she nods and goes over to sit in her old spot. She trains her gaze on the floor.

Derek looks down at her. He's smart not to sit down next to her; she's too jumpy. "Can we go somewhere and talk?" he asks. She doesn't look up.

"Honey?" Nora comes over to Casey and puts an arm around her from above. "Why don't you go talk to Derek? Sort everything out?"

Lizzie nudges me. "Be ready," she whispers in my ear. Wherever they go to talk, we're going to follow.

Casey finally stands, lightly pushing Nora away. "I need to be alone right now."

Derek grabs her arm. "Casey, I'm sorry."

I gasp. I've never heard him apologize to her.

She looks at him and then down at his hand on her arm. Her whole body is tensed against the contact, ready to push him away, but something is stopping her.

"How could you?" she finally says quietly. Nora backs up a little, sensing that this is a private moment. Lizzie, Marti, and I don't move, in case she makes another run for it.

"I just …" Derek lowers his gaze, but he doesn't remove his hand from her arm.

"That … This …" Casey's attempt at speaking doesn't go much better. She stares at the floor.

"Can someone tell me what in God's name is going on here?" Gran pipes up, and Lizzie and I both groan. She's going to ruin everything if she doesn't shut up. Casey's embarrassed enough; drawing attention to the, shall we say, _unconventionality_ of their attraction is just a bad, bad move.

"Mom, let's let Derek and Casey work things out," Nora says, gently but firmly leading her mother away from our group. She motions to us. "Come on, guys."

Marti skips toward Dad and grabs his hand, and we follow the adults out of the lodge. I look back before we reach the door and Derek is still staring at the floor, while Casey's looking up now while gnawing on her thumbnail.

As soon as the door swings shut behind us, Gran lets out a moan. "I can't believe you let him assault her like that! George, your son is deranged! What—"

"You have no idea what you're talking about," Nora cuts her off and turns to Dad. "George, take Marti to bed, okay?"

Dad nods. "Good night, Felicia," he says icily as he scoops a protesting Marti up and heads toward our cabin.

I'm not too worried about Gran—Nora will set her straight. Lizzie and I have some eavesdropping to do.

We dart around the side of the porch and huddle under the first open window we find. It's really difficult to hear, so we peer over the ledge and can just make out Casey apologizing.

"… shouldn't have hit you. But you caught me off guard."

"I know, I know. I went about it all wrong. But everything was happening so fast, and Edwin was right—I had to tell you."

I really, really wish I had a recording of that. He'll probably never admit to my face that I was right. At least I have Lizzie as a witness if it ever comes up.

"You didn't _tell_ me anything!" Casey cries, frustration evident in her voice. She puts a hand on her hip. "Why did you kiss me?" She shudders, and Derek makes a move to clasp her shoulders. But he doesn't touch her.

"Because, I …" He starts, then flounders.

"Because he loves you, you idiot!"

Lizzie claps her hand over her mouth and turns to stare at me, wide-eyed. "I can't believe I just said that!" she whispers. I can't, either. Guess we both have verbal diarrhea tonight.

"Liz," I say, hearing Derek's footsteps thundering toward the window, "Run!" We both tear away from the lodge, but it's too late. Derek is out the open window, down the stairs, and sprinting across the grass at an unnaturally fast clip.

We can't go forward because of the lake, so we bank right and one glance communicates that we need to split up.

I double back behind Derek as he sprints for Lizzie, growling all the way.

Miraculously, thanks to an adrenaline spike and a gulp of chilly lakeside air, I catch up to him and tackle him to the ground. Casey is on me a moment later, trying in vain to pull me off Derek, whom I'm pinning to the ground with Lizzie holding his arms above his head.

"Get off of me!" He whisper-yells. We're all very aware that it's the middle of the night among various cabins full of sleeping guests, and except for our heavy breathing, we're not making much noise. Derek finally gives up the struggle and we sit there in our heap, panting.

"I'm sorry, Derek. I didn't mean to steal your thunder," Lizzie says, truly contrite. "But let's face it—you needed some serious help back there."

Casey pulls herself up and stares down at us. "Is this some sort of conspiracy?" She looks at each of us in turn. "You're all in on it? 'Let's play a giant joke on Casey'?" She folds her arms.

I lock eyes with Derek and something intangible passes between us. Things will be different between us now, I can feel it. I've earned a new level of respect for setting this in motion. I spring up and away as Derek brushes himself off. "This isn't a joke," he says seriously.

Casey starts to move away as he gets up, but thinks better of it. She stares at him in confusion.

Derek goes over to her, and Lizzie's hand finds mine as our eyes stay glued to our siblings.

"This is not the way I wanted this to happen. That was not how I wanted our first kiss to be. But you mentioned leaving and I just, I freaked out. I can't let you go without knowing …" Derek gives her a small smile.

"So …" Casey says. I can see the wheels turning: Casey is putting it together. She somehow has to reconcile three years of hatred with the person standing in front of her. It can't be easy.

Derek catches my eye and I nod encouragingly. He turns back to Casey. "Case, it's kinda crazy, but I do. I love you. And I want to go to Queen's with you. If you really want to go to New York I can't stop you, but at least now I know I did everything I could."

I don't think Casey knows she's crying. Tears are streaming down her face. Derek steps forward and slowly slides his arms around her waist. Casey slides her own arms around his neck.

And for the first time ever, Derek and Casey _hug_.

I put an arm around Lizzie and she hugs onto me. Her eyes say, "What a night!" I nod and kiss her cheek. She squeezes me closer, our mutual joy radiating between us.

Casey pulls back first and wipes the tears from her eyes. "I don't know what to say, Derek."

Derek shrugs. "That's okay. I don't need you to say anything."

He so obviously, desperately does. But he's not about to tell her that. For now, I can see that he's just grateful she didn't run away again.

"Do you think …" She seems to remember suddenly that Lizzie and I are standing right here and a blush spreads across her cheeks. "Guys, can you give us some privacy?"

I shrug. "Do you honestly think we wouldn't just eavesdrop again?"

Lizzie nods her agreement.

Derek doesn't even bother to acknowledge this. He's focused completely on Casey's face, reading every mood change and expression. I don't blame him for being cautious.

Casey frowns, but seems to decide it's not worth the argument. She turns back to Derek and grabs his hands. "I was going to say, do you think we could maybe try that again?"

"Try what again?" Derek looks down at their intertwined hands.

I roll my eyes. My brother is so stupid sometimes. Her face is telling him everything he needs to know. "One two three go," I say to Lizzie under my breath. I know she'll know what I mean.

"Just kiss her already!" we say in perfect unison.

Derek laughs and Casey nods, blushing again.

Lizzie and I watch just long enough to see Derek palm her cheeks and tilt her face toward his. Casey puts her hands on his shoulders, and they go for it.

We retreat into the shadows near the lodge as they continue kissing in the moonlight.

"And here I thought nobody could top _my_ romantic night," Lizzie giggles quietly.

"Yeah, too bad. But you know it's always about them." I'm only half kidding.

"What else is new?" She sighs, leaning against me as I brush her hair off her face so she can put her head on my shoulder. It's true, but tonight we don't mind.

Derek and Casey are still kissing, halfway between the lodge and the lake, so we stare out at the water for a few minutes, enjoying the sounds of wildlife and the chilly night air.

They finally break apart and walk hand-in-hand toward our cabin.

Lizzie and I follow quietly so we can hear them, but they don't talk. I guess they'll leave the rest of the conversation for tomorrow. I'm dying to hear Casey's thoughts on all of this and whether she'll still decide to go to New York, but I guess it'll have to wait.

Casey holds the cabin door for us as we catch up to them, and Derek puts a finger to his lips and points to Marti—she's out cold in her bunk.

Derek and I take the bathroom first since the girls look busy gathering their pyjamas. I know Lizzie will tell me if Casey says anything to her, and I'll do the same for her about Derek. Not that he'll say anything.

But yet again tonight, he surprises me.

"Edwin, I don't deserve you," he says as I'm spitting out toothpaste. I just barely avoid choking on it.

He claps me on the shoulder. "What I say does not leave this room," he intones, trying to sound tough. I nod and wipe my mouth. "You always have my back, and I appreciate that. Thank you."

Because it's getting a little too touchy-feely, I know it's time to make a joke. "Man, I should get you kissed more often."

Derek chuckles and throws his T-shirt over his head. "Can't a guy say something nice to his little bro?"

I shake my head. "You're welcome."

He pulls me into a hug and I return it with vigor. The last time he hugged me like this was the day Mom moved out, so I'm not going to waste it.

And then we pull apart, shake our shoulders to erase the moment, and smile as we head back into the bedroom.

Casey and Lizzie are waiting by the door, smiling too. Derek squeezes Casey's hand and then punches Lizzie's arm as we pass them, but no one says anything. We're all still smiling too big.


	3. Chapter 3

In the morning, Casey and Derek are still asleep when we drag Marti out of bed and head down to the lodge for an early breakfast. Dad knocked on the door to say we should come over, but I think we're all in agreement that Casey and Derek need to talk first, so we let them sleep.

Marti skips along between us, holding our hands. Lizzie and I share a smile over her head.

"So Smarti, you're in a good mood this morning," Lizzie starts, but Marti's already giggling before she can say anything else.

"Smerek and Casey finally did it! I'm so happy, guys." She beams up at us.

I share another smile with Lizzie. Guess the ten-year-old version of "doing it" is kissing.

"Did you know they had crushes on each other?" I ask.

"Duh!" is all Marti says, still skipping along. I crack up. Who knew four years of tension could be summed up in one word?

We arrive at the lodge as Dad and Nora are heading in. They stayed in Gran's own cabin last night, so I'm hoping they got her on board with the Casey-and-Derek idea. Sure enough, they seem happy.

"Good morning, Sweetheart," Nora says, kissing the top of my head. She does the same with Lizzie and Marti, and as she does, Dad puts a hand on my shoulder.

"I'm proud of you, son. You did a good thing last night."

"Yeah?" I puff out my chest and soak up the compliment.

"Yeah. You took a risk, and it paid off. Same with Lizzie putting on the rally." He puts a hand on her shoulder now. "All of my kids are pretty brave that way."

"Is Casey really leaving?" Marti asks.

Nora and Dad look at each other but I can't tell what it means. "I don't know," Nora replies.

We meet Gran at the breakfast table. She's sitting primly, and every few seconds another guest walks by offering congratulations and gratitude that the lodge will remain open. Someone must have spotted us, because as we approach the table a round of applause and whistles directed at us breaks out across the dining room. Marti and I, the natural hams, each take a bow, but Lizzie just smiles and nods her head in thanks.

As the applause dies down and we settle in at the table, Oscar comes up to us. "Morning, Lizzie," he says shyly.

"Good morning!" Lizzie grins at him. "Want to take a walk later?"

"Yeah!" he says way too enthusiastically.

I snicker and she elbows me in the stomach. Clutching my gut, I mutter an apology. 'Take a walk' might actually mean just that, but after what happened between them last night, it definitely means something else to Oscar.

Luckily he doesn't seem to mind that she's basically brushing him off until after breakfast is over. Kissin' or no kissin', we have to find out what's going on with Derek and Casey, and I'm glad Lizzie doesn't want to involve Oscar.

"Great, I'll meet you here after lunch." Lizzie is kind but firm, and Oscar nods and then walks away. As Lizzie turns back to the table, she's met with amused stares from everyone.

"It's nothing," she says, waving a hand. "He's nice, but we're leaving tonight, so …"

She trails off, and everyone seems to accept that answer. I know I do. Lizzie's practical like that. Luckily, our waiter appears.

"Where's Jesse?" I ask him.

"He left for New York early this morning with Bernard Blue. The guy was so excited he couldn't think straight. Ms. Webster let him quit without notice since the season's almost over anyway."

"Does Casey know that?" Nora asks, more to herself than to the waiter.

"Oh! That reminds me." He pulls an envelope from his apron and hands it to Nora. "He gave me this to give to her."

Nora takes the envelope and tucks it next to her plate. She thanks him and starts ordering breakfast. I stare at the envelope, willing its contents to leap out at me, but of course they don't.

Lizzie pats my knee. "We'll find out what it says soon enough."

"So Gran," I turn my attention to her. "Did Nora give you the lowdown?"

Gran purses her lips and everyone looks uncomfortable. I suck in a breath.

"Yes, Edwin. Your mother explained everything, and while I can't imagine why she would condone such a relationship, I have no choice but to offer my blessing. I do want Casey to be happy, whatever that entails."

Lizzie and I let out twin sighs of relief. I don't mind that Gran called Nora my mom. I take it as a good sign.

Marti bounces in her seat. "You made the right choice," she sing-songs.

"I'm glad you feel that way, Gran. They're perfect for each other. You'll see." Lizzie smiles. "Will you excuse us for a minute? Edwin and I need to go—"

"Absolutely not," Dad interrupts. "No eavesdropping. You give them some privacy."

"We weren't going to eavesdrop!" Lizzie says indignantly.

Dad laughs. "Yeah, sure."

"It's true, Dad," I pipe up. "We just need to go over by the window and talk. Will you call us when the food's here?"

Dad agrees and we head to the front of the lodge.

"We didn't even think about eavesdropping this morning. They don't give us enough credit," Lizzie says as we look out the window. We're watching for Casey and Derek, of course, but we have an unspoken agreement that today we need to give them some space. We got really lucky with what we heard last night, so we can't push it.

"Old habits," I shrug, and I don't need to finish the adage because Lizzie's nodding. "So, Casey say anything while we were brushing our teeth last night?"

"Not really. She sat on her bed and stared at the floor, smiling. I sat down next to her and we hugged. Then she was like, 'Gosh Liz, this is crazy.' And I said, 'Well, yeah. That's the best part.' And then we hugged again and then you guys came out. What did Derek say to you?"

Suddenly it feels like a betrayal to reveal my conversation with Derek, even to Lizzie. I decide to stick to the main point. "He actually thanked me. I was floored. But it felt nice. I know he'll deny it in public, but at least I have the memory of it."

Lizzie shakes her head good-naturedly. "Oh, Derek. Of course he will. But I'm glad he said that to you."

I'm about to respond when I catch a glimpse of movement out the window. We both turn, and sure enough, Casey and Derek are headed up the steps to the lodge, walking hand-in-hand.

"Ohmigosh!" Lizzie squeals, and we run back to our seats, narrowly avoiding a collision with our waiter, who has our breakfast tray.

"They're coming!" I hiss, and everyone has just enough time to put on impassive expressions and busy themselves with eating their food until the lodge door opens.

I watch them enter, no longer holding hands. They search the room. Casey looks at Derek and shrugs. They must be looking for Mrs. Blue and Bernard.

"Bernard left!" I call to Casey, and I wave as they spot us.

They come over to stand in front of the table, looking nervous.

"Hey," Derek greets all of us, gaze lingering on our parents. I realize he never really got their approval last night, and I think he cares about Dad's opinion most of all. They're both beaming at him, and he visibly relaxes.

"Good morning," Nora replies. "Sit down and join us."

They do, and when they're settled in and have given our waiter their order, and I'm about to burst with anticipation, Casey finally speaks.

"Derek and I have some things we need to say, and I'm sure you all have questions."

"Get to the good stuff! Are you dating?" Marti is even more impatient than I am.

Derek chuckles. "Easy, Smarti."

"First," Casey continues, smiling at Marti, "I need to apologize for both of us," she gestures to Derek, "for making a scene last night. It wasn't fair to drag all of you into—"

"Case, I'm with Marti. Stop stalling and get to the good stuff." Lizzie folds her arms, but she's smiling.

Casey opens her mouth but she's so flustered nothing comes out.

Nora shakes her head. "Honey, ignore them. Finish your speech."

"See, they hate the speech!" Derek cries. "Seriously, Case, I think everyone is over last night. It's okay."

I feel a rush of relief that they're still the same. No matter what they are to each other now, Casey will always be Casey, and Derek will always be Derek, big mouth and all. I hadn't known I was worried about that until this moment.

"Gran?" Casey waits.

Gran looks to the ceiling and then shakes her head. "Honey, you know I'm happy if you're happy."

"You have no idea how much that means to me," Casey says quietly. Derek puts a hand on her shoulder for a moment, but removes it when he notices that we've all zeroed in on the gesture. He's touched her like that a million times before but now it means something completely different.

"Jeez!" Derek holds up both hands in surrender.

Casey takes his hand and holds it with both of hers on the table. "Well, I guess it's time that all of you know, Derek and I are going to try being a couple."

The collective cheer that rises up from our table probably deafens the other guests, but I don't care, and no one else seems to, either.

"How—" Lizzie begins just as Nora and I ask, "When—"

Derek and Casey are still holding hands on the table. She looks at him. "You go first."

Derek smiles. "As for the when, neither of us can pick an exact moment. As for how, it wasn't love at first sight, that's for sure."

Everyone except Gran laughs.

"But like I told Casey this morning, I just knew. No one had ever treated me like she does. She doesn't back down from my challenges and she never lets me get away with anything. I think I really started to realize how much I cared about her when she started dating Sam. It took me awhile to realize I was jealous, but that's what I was. And instead of telling her how I felt, I kept it in," he ignores my grunt of derision, because he knows I bore the brunt of that repression, "until it seemed like it was too late to say anything. I didn't think I was good enough for Casey."

"Which is dumb," Casey pipes up, "because that whole time I was in awe of how good Derek was for me. I know I didn't always show it," this gets a similar grunt from Lizzie, and at least Casey has the compassion to look contrite, "but I really did love being around him, even when he drove me nuts. And I didn't realize until very recently that my feelings had always been something more than sisterly."

"How recently?" Nora asks. "We kinda knew about Derek, but you were harder to pin down. You just seemed to hate him _so_ much."

"I can't believe you _knew_," Derek mutters.

"I think we all knew, bro," I say carefully. "It wasn't hard to figure out, when you were making eyes at her across the dinner table every night." I desperately wanted to say "eye-fucking her" but Marti is right next to me.

Derek looks around the table and everyone (except Gran, of course) nods.

Casey is beet red. "Oh, God." She ducks her head. "As for Mom's question, it was graduation night. I realized we'd be going to the same school and could be whoever we wanted to be there, but we'd still be stepsiblings. That idea made me sad, but I couldn't really figure out why until last night when Derek, thanks to Ed, showed me." She smiles at me and I wink at her.

"So even though it might be unconventional for some people, we decided that shouldn't stop us from being together," Derek says. "We don't want to waste any more time fighting and pretending we're okay with just being stepsiblings, because we're not." There's a challenge to his words, but he's not going to meet any opposition at this table. We're all nodding, even Gran.

"By the way, Jesse left you a note," Lizzie says, motioning for Nora to pass it along. "Did you break up with Roxy?" She turns to Derek.

"Uh …" Derek stalls.

"We didn't get that far in our conversation," Casey explains as she lets go of Derek's hand to skim the paper. "I was going to say something to Jesse in person, but now I don't have to." She waves the letter. "He doesn't want anything to distract him from his dancing. He broke up with me."

I've never seen Casey say those words with a smile on her face, but right now she's grinning from ear to ear.

"Speaking of dancing …" Nora lets the question go unasked.

Casey grabs Derek's hand again. "Something else we didn't have time to discuss."

Derek shifts in his chair. "Yeah. I …" I sense more than see him getting upset. He's not going to say anything negative after the fuss he made last night. He can't jeopardize their hours-old relationship.

"What?" Casey asks him. She's tense now, too.

He shakes his head. "I already told you that I won't stop you from doing something you want to do."

"No!" Lizzie hisses under her breath. I find her hand under the table and squeeze it like she did for me last night.

I know Casey heard her but she doesn't acknowledge it. She looks at Nora, whose eyes are filling with tears. "Mom?"

"I can't make this decision for you, Sweetheart. You know that."

Casey, miraculously, is not crying. "I've always considered myself a feminist. I never thought I would have to choose between love and a career, and honestly, I look down on any girl who puts herself in that position."

Derek starts to pull his hand away but she won't let him. Instead she scoots her chair closer to him. He looks like he's about to pass out.

"Derek, I can't tell you how angry I am at you for doing this to me. You made what was already a difficult choice into the hardest decision I've ever had to make, and I hate you for it."

We are all perfectly still, watching. I want to scream, but it's obvious Casey is leading us somewhere, and we all want to follow. Especially Derek, who is tracking her eyes with his own.

"But it's not a choice, not really. I love dancing, but I love you more. I'm going to Queen's with you."

Our table erupts into cheering again. Derek and Casey look at each other, her fingers stroking his cheeks and then gripping the back of his neck. She's the one to go in for the kiss this time, and they keep it short, but it gets the point across. Derek looks dizzy when they pull away.

"Queen's has a dance team, you know," Lizzie speaks up when they continue to stare at each other with goofy-happy grins.

Casey tears her eyes away from Derek. "I didn't bother to look into that, but now I will." She gives her sister a brief nod that conveys all of her gratitude and love and I'm thankful again for the way Derek treated me last night. I know how he really feels about me, and it feels good. I wonder what it's like for Liz to get that kind of affection all the time.

And then I realize that I do get that, from Lizzie herself. We share a smile as the rest of the family discusses how Casey will contact Bernard Blue (she has his business card) and how Derek should break up with Roxy (he'll call from the office phone). I tune it out and think about how all of our snooping around, spying, and eavesdropping these past few years have saved Derek and Casey from a lonely, miserable life. Okay, that might be a little dramatic, but still. We rock. I mouth that to Lizzie and she giggles and crosses her eyes at me.

()()()()()()()()()()

We stay for one last dinner at the lodge, and afterward we load up the cars. Derek and Casey are driving home in the Prince, of course, and I can't help but think that this car ride will be the best one they've ever taken together.

"You're such a sap," Lizzie scoffs as I tell her my observation. We're all gathered around the cars, waiting to say our goodbyes to Gran.

"Like you weren't thinking the same thing."

She rolls her eyes, and I know I'm right.

"Goodbye, Dear," Gran says as she kisses my cheek. "You keep working on that comedy routine. You're a very funny young man."

"Thanks, Gran. Will do." I salute her and step back so she can embrace Lizzie.

Casey catches me around the waist as I turn around, and she squeezes me tightly. "See you at home, Ed. Love you."

I put my arms around her and squeeze back. "Love you too, Case."

She's looking at me like she wants to say more, but she's already thanked me enough, so I make it easy for her. "You know I just gave him a little push, right? The rest of it was all Derek."

We look over to where he's swinging Marti around.

"I know. But _you_ need to know how I much I appreciate what you did."

We smile and then the moment's over when everyone finishes their goodbyes and it's time to wedge ourselves into Dad's minivan.

Marti climbs in first, then Lizzie and I take the middle row. I put an arm around her and stretch out across the seat.

"You were so ready to leave before. Could you imagine if you hadn't stayed?" she asks, settling back against me once her seatbelt is on.

I chuckle. "You're right. Between saving the marsh and saving our siblings, we've had a busy week."

Marti taps me on the shoulder from the backseat. "Me, too. I mean, I almost got stranded like that Robinson Carousel guy."

"That's Crusoe," Lizzie corrects her.

Marti shrugs and turns to wave out the window to Gran as Dad starts to pull away.

Lizzie and I wave too, and I catch her eye once the Great Blue Heron Lodge is out of sight. "Good vacation, Liz?" I ask in a whisper as a strip of her purple hair falls across her face and tickles my neck.

I brush it out of the way. I don't think she was there when Derek asked Casey the same thing last night, so it surprises me when she replies just like Casey did. "The best. You?"

We're so much like our older siblings sometimes. That's why I don't hesitate to steal Derek's line. "Better," I say with a smile.


End file.
